PHOTOS: A piece of Rosemountโs firefighting history is returning to Dakota County after more than two decades of service in Lafayette, Minnesota. The Minnesota Fire Engine Club (MFEC) has secured a 1979 Hammerly fire engine, originally delivered new to the Rosemount Fire Department, after the City of Lafayette voted to sell the truck to the organization for $1.
MFEC Public Information Officer and Donations Chair Len Schrader said he spotted the apparatus for sale while conducting his daily scan of online listings in search of potential historical fire equipment donations. A familiar-looking pumper caught his eye: a 1979 Hammerly engine bearing the unmistakable features of Rosemountโs former rig.
โKnowing the history of the trucks in this area, it looked vaguely familiar,โ Schrader said. โI reached out to the City of Lafayette for more information, and they confirmed it, this was Rosemountโs 1979 Hammerly pumper.โ
Hammerly fire apparatus was manufactured in Pennsylvania, and examples this far west are uncommon. That rarity, combined with the truckโs documented history in Dakota County, made it a priority for preservation.
After serving Rosemount for 23 years, the pumper was sold to the City of Lafayette in 2002. The city repainted the vehicle, affixed its municipal markings, and placed it into front-line service, where the engine served the Lafayette community for another 23 years before being retired in 2025 and listed for sale.
